AnimalsNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94AnimalsTue, 04 Oct 2016 09:56:11 +0000Animalshttp://nhpr.org
Word of MouthEach year, eight-hundred thousand Latinos turn 18 in the United States - add up the 4 years since the last election, and you've got a whole lot of young voters. Today, a new app designed to increase turnout among young Latinos - an crucial block that haven't always shown up to the polls. Plus, the author of The Way Things Work - a quintessential coffee-table book from 1988 made up of detailed illustrations to explain everything from catapults to calculators. The classic book just got an update for the digital age. And conservation by drone - we'll hear about a program designed to save black-footed ferrets from the plague by air-dropping vaccines. 9.19.16: Saving Ferrets With Drones, Unidos App, & The Way Things Work Nowhttp://nhpr.org/post/91916-saving-ferrets-drones-unidos-app-way-things-work-now
97733 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 19 Sep 2016 17:11:47 +0000Word of MouthThe National Park Service reports that only 7% of annual park visitors are African American. On today’s show, we delve into environmental and cultural history to find out why the story of the American outdoors is so white. Then, in the last census 60 million Americans listed birdwatching as a past time. And who can blame them? Watching birds is like watching tiny adorable flying dinosaurs. But there's birdwatching and then there's birdwatching. We'll take a look inside the fascinating and pricey world of competitive birding. 9.12.16: Black Faces White Spaces, Teacup Pigs, & The Early Birder Gets the Birdhttp://nhpr.org/post/91216-black-faces-white-spaces-teacup-pigs-early-birder-gets-bird
97348 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 12 Sep 2016 17:52:59 +0000Word of MouthA few years ago, one of America's most beloved snack cakes was in danger of disappearing forever - until investors swooped in and saved the day. What started out as a rescue mission quickly evolved into a business strategy, and resulted in substantial changes to the brand. Today, preserving the mythical, magical Twinkie. Plus, awareness of mental health issues is on the rise, but it's not limited to people. We'll speak with an expert working with animals to resolve their mental health issues and better understand the inner lives of creatures who don't have the words to express it. 7.19.16: Twinkies, Couch Potatoes, & Inner Lives of Animalshttp://nhpr.org/post/71916-twinkies-couch-potatoes-inner-lives-animals
94522 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 19 Jul 2016 18:13:37 +0000Word of MouthThere are a lot of adjectives used to describe great white sharks: Giant. Fearsome. Deadly. But author and naturalist Sy Montgomery has seen sharks up close and might choose another word - like sublime. Today, the ocean's most mysterious and misunderstood predator gets a closer look. Then, maybe you heard about the guy visiting Yellowstone who put a cold, abandoned baby buffalo in his car and drove it to a ranger station. Attempts to reunite the little guy with its herd failed and it was euthanized - inciting an online riot over how humans interact with wild animals. 6.22.16: Warcraft Didn't Really Bomb, Great White Sharks, & The Plight of the Baby Bisonhttp://nhpr.org/post/62216-warcraft-didnt-really-bomb-great-white-sharks-plight-baby-bison
93070 as http://nhpr.orgWed, 22 Jun 2016 15:58:56 +0000Word of MouthBombs on bats and dolphin mine sweepers. First, we learn about the Navy’s long-running acoustic warfare program...mimicking mammals for weaponry. Plus, we know where your cat lives. An artist uses all those adorable cat photos on the internet to pinpoint your location. And, want to make sure your face isn’t recognized on surveillance cameras? All it takes is a little make-up and creativity. Today we’re looking at the digital footprints we leave all over the internet. 4.04.16: The Navy's Acoustic Warfare, Anti-Surveillance Camouflage, & Erasing Your Metadatahttp://nhpr.org/post/40416-navys-acoustic-warfare-anti-surveillance-camouflage-erasing-your-metadata
53157 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 04 Apr 2016 14:36:31 +0000Word of MouthParents have long used "the birds and the bees" to help explain how babies are made...They'd really have some explaining to do if they looked under the sea. Today, the mating rituals of lobsters, and other examples of love down below. Plus, casinos are dizzying places filled with blinking lights, blaring sounds, and outrageous carpet motifs...all designed to bewilder and seduce gamblers to bet high and lose big. We'll get a behind the scenes look at how casinos work from code words to house superstitions. 2.17.16: Sex in the Sea & the Secret World of Casinoshttp://nhpr.org/post/21716-sex-sea-secret-world-casinos
85630 as http://nhpr.orgWed, 17 Feb 2016 16:51:00 +0000Word of MouthLast winter researchers set off for Norway’s northern reaches where the sun barely rises above the horizon to find out how residents cope with the cold and darkness and discovered something remarkable. On this Solstice day, we reveal the Norwegian secret to enjoying a harsh winter. Plus, how Granite Staters feel about the lack of snow this holiday season. Then, for some parents, Christmas raises a conundrum – how to navigate the magical world of Santa. 12.22.15: Surviving Winter, "Why I Hate Star Wars", & A Conversation About Santahttp://nhpr.org/post/122215-surviving-winter-why-i-hate-star-wars-conversation-about-santa
82313 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 22 Dec 2015 17:40:06 +0000Word of MouthPersonal branding is a part of all political campaigns, but female candidates face different considerations. On today’s show, a look at what the evolution of Hillary Clinton’s name signifies for women in politics, and why she took on Bill's surname in the first place. Then from Newton and the apple to the solitary genius of Darwin, the scientific world is rife with myths and legends. Among the most pervasive, that Galileo’s imprisonment was long and excruciating. We’ll find out more about the origins of these stories, why they persist, and how they shape our view of science. 12.16.15: Hillary's Changing Names, Do Fish Feel, & Science Mythshttp://nhpr.org/post/121615-hillarys-changing-names-do-fish-feel-science-myths
81969 as http://nhpr.orgWed, 16 Dec 2015 19:29:48 +0000Word of MouthCher, Chuck Norris, and Angelina Jolie all claim to be part Cherokee. Today, we’re asking why so many Americans believe they descend from the Cherokee people - among the most commercially popular Native American tribes. And, another indigenous population that once roamed the American plains…from the cave art of early humans to abandoned mustangs on a New Hampshire farm, explore the resilience, intelligence and fierce sociability of horses. 10.28.15: Why So Many People Think They're Cherokee & The Secret Lives of Wild Horseshttp://nhpr.org/post/102815-why-so-many-people-think-theyre-cherokee-secret-lives-wild-horses
79041 as http://nhpr.orgWed, 28 Oct 2015 16:41:52 +0000Word of MouthAmong the things we take for granted in today’s America is knowing the time …which makes transportation, business and national events possible. This, however, was not always the case. Today, from building sewers to standardizing time, we’ll talk about the invisible innovations that got us where we are today. Then, more than 30,000 African elephants are poached every year, mostly out of East Africa. In an effort to understand the illegal ivory trade, a journalist commissioned a tusk made of fake ivory with a GPS tracker inside. We speak with the man behind that tusk. 9.16.15: How We Got to Now, Tracing the Ivory Trade, & Luciushttp://nhpr.org/post/91615-how-we-got-now-tracing-ivory-trade-lucius
76589 as http://nhpr.orgWed, 16 Sep 2015 17:14:11 +0000Word of MouthWe’ve long heard that print media is going the way of the dodo bird. So, how are public libraries adapting to the changing nature of books? Some are banking on a new kind of print. Today, 3D printing hits the local library. Plus, we’ll talk with an AI researcher who will forever be remembered as the inventor of the emoticon. And with short, niche-y topics, young amateur hosts, and millions of viewers, we’ll find out how YouTube cooking shows are challenging the Food Network. 8.11.15: Libraries as Makerspaces, Inventor of the Emoticon, & YouTube Cooking Showshttp://nhpr.org/post/81115-libraries-makerspaces-inventor-emoticon-youtube-cooking-shows
74471 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 11 Aug 2015 18:55:02 +0000Word of MouthWith a beak like a parrot, venom strong enough to dissolve flesh, and eight writhing tentacles, the octopus is among the most mystifying and alien of creatures. On today’s show, a naturalist reaches across half a billion years of evolution to find the soul of an octopus. Then, how far can the benefits of music therapy reach? One woman brings us the answer. 7.30.15: The Soul of an Octopus & Music for Animalshttp://nhpr.org/post/73015-soul-octopus-music-animals
73810 as http://nhpr.orgThu, 30 Jul 2015 17:11:17 +0000Word of MouthFrom the loyal dog to the house cat to the horse, domestication has bridged the gap between wild animals and humans. On today’s show, the evolutionary advantages of domestication, and how we got from wildcat to the purring kitten of a zillion video memes. Then, from playing catch in the backyard to taking junior to his first ball game, baseball is a bonding tradition, and cliché, for many American men. We’ll look at the father-son relationship through the lens of baseball. 6.3.15: A History Of Domestication; Fathers, Sons, & Baseball; & Major League Translatinghttp://nhpr.org/post/6315-history-domestication-fathers-sons-baseball-major-league-translating
70300 as http://nhpr.orgWed, 03 Jun 2015 18:56:13 +00006.3.15: A History Of Domestication; Fathers, Sons, & Baseball;Sam Evans-Brown How do we know how many fish there are in the sea? How many birds there are in the trees? When biologists come to us with the estimated number of bison on the Great Plains, it’s easy to imagine where that estimate comes from, but what about the number of newts in the forest? Fish and Game just finished up a series of presentations all around the state where they were shopping around their wild-life management plan. Basically, it’s a chance for hunters to come and see what the biologists are saying about how the populations of deer, turkey moose and bear are doing, and how many of each species they’ll be allowed to shoot. The material is dense. Here’s a little sample from Fish and Game’s Deer Biologist, Dan Bergeron, explaining the model they use to guess at deer population: For deer, this is the two-year running average of the adult buck-kill. That’s kind of what we use as an index to the trend in the population. That’s kind of the best index we have. So what did that even mean? TheCounting Animals Is A Tough Jobhttp://nhpr.org/post/counting-animals-tough-job
67192 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 13 Apr 2015 19:40:29 +0000Counting Animals Is A Tough JobWord of MouthProsthetic hands for kids are often too heavy and expensive for practical use. On today’s show we’ll hear about a company called e-NABLE that has formed a network of volunteers from across the world to create 3-d printed, low-cost prosthetics with a kid-friendly aesthetic. Then, for centuries, meditation has been used to quiet the mind and focus attention. Now, modern technology reveals the medical benefits of mindfulness. 4.13.15: 3-D Printed Prosthetics For Kids & The Benefits Of Mindfulnesshttp://nhpr.org/post/41315-3-d-printed-prosthetics-kids-benefits-mindfulness
67187 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 13 Apr 2015 19:40:01 +0000Sheryl Rich-KernCats and dogs are living longer these days. And more old pets is giving rise to more options for pet owners looking for pet hospice and end-of-life care. Sharon Sernik shepherds her two greyhounds over to the feeding bowls in her Merrimack kitchen. The dogs tromp past a room that was probably meant for formal dining — but is now more like a canine retreat, with scattered pillows on a bare floor for the seven household pets. "We’ve got a hydrocephalic dachshund and a twisted kitty." Sernik’s love for animals is also a vocation. She’s a veterinarian with a practice dedicated to at-home euthanasia. "I always feel it’s an honor to be invited into people’s homes. It’s really a privilege. The pet really never knows anything is happening. I come into their home. I bring treats and I spend some time in there and they get this little sedative and they fall asleep at home with their people." Sernik says people plan farewells all sorts of ways. They invite friends, read prayers or poems. InIncreasing Longevity Of Pets' Lives Has Some Owners Seeking Animal Hospice Carehttp://nhpr.org/post/increasing-longevity-pets-lives-has-some-owners-seeking-animal-hospice-care
64448 as http://nhpr.orgWed, 25 Feb 2015 21:35:52 +0000Increasing Longevity Of Pets' Lives Has Some Owners Seeking Animal Hospice CareChris MartinWildlife tracks in the snow indicate of a lot of coming and going in the nighttime world. Why are so many animals active, given their limited ability to see in the dark? There's the obvious reason: division of resources helps avoid competition. A red-tailed hawk hunts the same fields by day that a great horned owl hunts by night. Night also offers some animals protection from their main predators. Mice lie low by day, but in the wild—and in my house—they come out at night. Something Wild: Creatures In The Nighthttp://nhpr.org/post/something-wild-creatures-night-0
63309 as http://nhpr.orgFri, 20 Feb 2015 05:00:00 +0000Something Wild: Creatures In The NightMolly DonahueDr. Joy Reidenberg caught us up on the new PBS series she hosts, Sex in the Wild. She brought some crazy stories and fun facts with her, the best of which we’ve compiled here. We’ll add a quick warning: Dr. Reidenberg doesn’t shy away from the action, but she encourages every age group to learn as much about nature as possible, even the birds and the bees (even though those two animals don’t make the cut for the series). Elephants: Elephants have very strong family bonds, which manifest in protective instincts. But despite that tenderness towards the young, elephant mating is a pretty public affair. All of the other elephants are standing around watching the whole thing happen and in fact they’re not just watching it, they’re actually advertising it to any other male that might be in the area, so as soon as the two that are involved in the mating begin to mate, you’ve got all the other animals starting to trumpet very loudly and making a whole big pandemonium scene, basically saying Sex In The Wild: The Cliffnoteshttp://nhpr.org/post/sex-wild-cliffnotes
52366 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 22 Jul 2014 17:02:17 +0000Sex In The Wild: The CliffnotesWord of MouthToday, we have a conversation with an anatomist behind a new PBS series that puts the lens on mammals who reproduce under extreme circumstances, like dolphins. And if you think it’s tough for mammals to find a mate, try finding one in the vast ocean when you’re a nearly microscopic crustacean. We’ll look into the mating rituals of copepods. And then, a different sort of nature when Chuck Klosterman tells us more about the traits of villainy. Listen to the full show and Read more for individual segments. 7.22.14: Sex In The Wild, Chuck Klosterman Tackles Villainy, And The First Fireworkshttp://nhpr.org/post/72214-sex-wild-chuck-klosterman-tackles-villainy-and-first-fireworks
52360 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 22 Jul 2014 17:00:19 +00007.22.14: Sex In The Wild, Chuck Klosterman Tackles Villainy, And The First FireworksAssociated PressNew Hampshire lawmakers have passed legislation that includes household pets in orders designed to protect victims of domestic violence. Wednesday's vote sent the bill to the governor. It expands the orders to include pets in cases involving stalking and domestic violence. The bill would allow judges to grant custody of any domestic pets or farm animals to the victim and issue an order barring the abuser from harming or disposing of the animal. Supporters argue abusers sometimes take their anger out on a pet or attempt to intimidate victims by targeting a pet. Opponents argue the bill isn't needed because cruelty to animals already is a crime. N.H. Legislature Passes Domestic Violence Protection For Pets http://nhpr.org/post/nh-legislature-passes-domestic-violence-protection-pets
49697 as http://nhpr.orgWed, 04 Jun 2014 20:37:02 +0000N.H. Legislature Passes Domestic Violence Protection For Pets